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The Minnesota Department of Health (“MDOH”) issued a February 2019 report titled:

Lead in Minnesota Water – Assessment of Eliminating Lead in Minnesota Drinking Water (“Report”)

The Report is described as an assessment of the scope of the Minnesota lead problem by examining the extent of lead already in water systems as well as factors that allow lead to get in drinking water.

The Report concludes that addressing lead in drinking water has both costs and benefits. It estimates costs for removing the two most significant sources of lead to be between $1.53 billion and $4.12 billion over 20 years. Estimated benefits associates with removing lead are stated to include:

• Improvements in population mental acuity and IQ
• Increases in lifetime productivity, earnings, and taxes paid

Projected range of benefits are stated to be $4.24 billion to $8.47 billion over 20 years. Note that Minnesota drinking water systems are indicated to be diverse and have varying requirements and resource needs. Therefore, the Report states that broad estimates are used to gauge costs.

The Report also addresses lead exposure risks (noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that no safe level of lead exposure has been found).

Key components to the Report include:

• Lead in Sources of Water
• Well Components
• Lead in Distribution Systems
• Lead in Service Lines
• Lead in Premises
• Cost Summary
• Risk Characterization
• Cost/Benefit Summary

Recommendations include:

• Lead Service Lines
• Public Awareness Campaigns
• Technical Assistance and Partnerships

Appendices include:

• Data Quality Issues
• Lost Productivity
• Legal Issues for Setting Water Rates

A copy of the Report can be found here.